Laundry Room Makeover

I don't know about you, but the laundry room seems to be one of the last rooms on my list of places  to makeover.  Even though I spend a fair amount of time in there, it wasn't on the top of my list.  It seems that there is always dirty clothes waiting to be cleaned, hung, folded or ironed. UGH!  So, I started thinking about how to make the time that I do spend in that room more enjoyable.

I finally had some free time and I took on the challenge of making over my own laundry room. I'm happy with how it turned out and have to say, it does make my state of mind better when I am in there.  Obviously the clothes are still there waiting to be cleaned and ironed, but the room is pretty and inviting now.  I'm not in such a big hurry to get done.

Color is important to me along with style. It had to coordinate with the adjoining rooms and existing floor tile and cabinets. So I began with picking out the new color.  I thought, a blue  was what I wanted so I began there. The original color was Sherwin Williams Bagel and  I changed it to Sherwin Williams Seaworthy.

Before with SW Bagel

After with SW Seaworthy

The next step was picking out a tile for the back splash.  There was no tile on the walls to begin with, so it was a little easier to add new without having to take out the old first.  I really wanted glass tiles and I wanted it in a brick shape.  So I went through my tile samples and found the perfect tile!!!  Marazzi  Studio M Glass Mosaic in Jive!

Before without Tile

After with Tile

Before without Tile, Paint or Drying Rack

After with Tile and Paint

Organization is always important in any laundry room so I  searched for and found a hanging rack for the wall behind the washer and dryer.  Normally, I had laundry baskets setting on top of the washer and dryer but that always looked tacky and it didn't help with my delicate clothes. They needed to be hung, not machine dried. More times than not, our delicate clothes were strewn all over the laundry room, even hanging on cabinet knobs until they dried. Needless to say, this is one of my favorite and most functional finds.  Not only does it look nice, even with clothes hanging on it, it is functional and I love it!

Drying Rack for Delicates

The dirty clothes storage was another problem.  I searched and found Rev-A-Shelf laundry baskets that fit perfectly inside my cabinets to hide away all of the dirty clothes.  I sort them into each basket when they become dirty. The full baskets remind me, when I add clothes to them, that it's time to do the laundry!  When the baskets are full, it's time to wash! Genius!

Dirty Clothes Hidden Baskets

The decor is always the most fun to do.  I was able to use a few of the pieces that I had in there before the makeover, but I also added some new things. My favorite new piece is a picture that my husband took while we were in Italy, of clothes hanging on a line in Cinque Terre.  It ended up being the perfect colors so I had it blown up and I matted and framed it for my laundry room.  I love looking at it and reminiscing about our trip to Italy every time I'm in there!

Laundry Hanging on a line in Cinque Terre Italy.

Let us know if your laundry room is the place you dread going the most. If so, give us a call and we can make it a more pleasant room for you to do the most dreaded chore!

Antionette King, Owner/Designer

Pezzo Bello Interiors

816-891-8400

www.pezzobellointeriors.com

aking@pezzobellointeriors.com

Your Design Style, Contemporary!

Contemporary style is one of the harder styles to explain.  When a client says they want a Contemporary styled home, they usually mean clean lines not curly Q's, a lot of heavy drapery and definitely not overstuffed furnishings.  Most people think that Contemporary means cold and unwelcoming, but that is a myth. A Contemporary home can be a quiet and comfortable retreat without being cluttered and dark. 

You'll often hear the terms "contemporary" and "modern" tossed about interchangeably, but they're not exactly the same thing.  Modern refers to a specific design movement that arose in the early 20th century and follows stricter guidelines; contemporary, by definition, is more fluid and tolerates a bit of rule-breaking.

Simplicity, subtle sophistication, texture and clean lines help to define Contemporary style. When designing a contemporary home, you focus on space, color and shape as Contemporary homes are sleek and fresh.  In a contemporary style interior, don't use ruffles, excessive carved details, fringe, or floral prints. Abolish cute and small. Go bold, and structural.

Contemporary Bedroom by Pezzo Bello Interiors

Neutrals, black, and white are the main colors in Contemporary style interiors. The palette is often punched up and accented with bright and bold color. Black is often the grounding  and defining color in Contemporary homes as shown in the photo below.

Neutral colors on the walls such as beige, grey,  tan, brown or even ecru will also be a great backdrop for a Contemporary room.  White woodwork is another must if you are looking to spotlight Contemporary in your home.

Contemporary Master Bedroom by Pezzo Bello Interiors

Oversized artwork is another must for a Contemporary home.  Walls in a Contemporary room should NOT be adorned with  plate collections or family groupings.  Instead use a large family portrait or oil on canvas that is minimally framed, if at all.

Catwalk by Pezzo Bello Interiors

Contemporary is not only used in main rooms like the living and bedrooms. There are many ways to use contemporary in bathrooms.  There are fixtures, glass tile and natural stone that can make a bathroom outstandingly contemporary.  Even small bathrooms like the one shown below with a granite vessel, chrome wall faucet, oversized art and a chrome contemporary sculpture.

Overall, what makes Contemporary work is a strong emphasis on line and form — two essentials of good design — gives contemporary style its energy. Contemporary rooms are designed with abundant open space which makes them feel airy and expansive. Because there isn't any clutter, every piece has to count.


So how does Contemporary fit in your design style?  Does it leave you cold or light you up?  Do you feel at home in contemporary settings or are you wanting more?  Let us know how you feel about this weeks design style and be entered to win a $50 gift certificate to Pezzo Bello Interiors until March 15th.  Hurry time is running out!